Project Director

Kim, Jisook

Department Examiner

Albu, Titus; Lee, John P.; Gaudin, Timothy

Department

Dept. of Chemistry

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Amyloidosis, which involves the precipitation of mis-folded protein aggregates, is a prominent process that occurs in many neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease; the protein aggregates being amyloid-β for Alzheimer’s disease and α-synuclein for Parkinson’s disease. This study has focused on lysozyme modifications induced by metabolites of the commonly found pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are found in substances ranging from grilled meats to cigarette smoke to cosmetics, and they can be metabolized into a family of biological toxins known as benzoquinones. The molecules of interest for this study were 1,4-benzoquinone (pBQ), 2-chloro-1,4-benzoquinone (CBQ), and 2-methyl-1,4- benzoquinone (MBQ). The effect these benzoquinones had on lysozyme was studied by first creating samples through time- and concentration-dependent incubations in physiologic conditions. These samples were then examined through SDS-PAGE analysis, fluorescence assays, and UV-Vis spectroscopy to determine the products created through this modification. Our findings revealed the effective oligomerization and aggregation of lysozyme modified by benzoquinones.

Acknowledgments

The Grote Chemistry Fund Provost Student Research Award

Degree

B. S.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science.

Date

5-2015

Subject

Amyloidosis; Nervous system -- Degeneration

Keyword

benzoquinones; lysozyme; aggregation; protein modifications

Discipline

Chemistry

Document Type

Theses

Extent

84 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Date Available

12-8-2018

Download

Included in

Chemistry Commons

Share

COinS